СЕТИ ДИАВОЛЬСКИЕ

Stop uttering these satanic words: if my brother hates me, I don’t want to see him. There is nothing more shameful than such speech, although many consider it a sign of a noble soul, but there is nothing more ignoble, more insane, more cruel than this. That is why I especially regret that many consider evil deeds to be a virtue and that to neglect and despise others seems to them to be a beautiful and honest thing. This is the most dangerous network of the devil, when vice is clothed with good glory - that is why it is indestructible. I myself have heard how many take credit for the fact that they did not approach the person who turned away from them, although your Master boasts of this. How many times did people spit on Him? How many times have you turned away from Him? But He stops coming to them. So, do not say: I cannot approach people who hate me, but say: I cannot spit on those who spit on me. This will be the speech of a disciple of Christ, and the first is the speech of the devil. This has made many famous and glorious, and the first - despicable and ridiculous. That is why we are surprised at Moses, that when God Himself said: “Leave Me, that My anger may be kindled against them, and I will destroy them” (Exodus 32:10), he could not despise those who repeatedly turned away from him, but said: “Forgive them their sin, and if not, then blot me out too” (Exodus 32:32). So Moses was a friend and imitator of God. Let us not boast of what we should be ashamed of, let us not utter the words used by vicious people in the market: “I don’t care about anyone.” And if anyone else says this, we will reprove him and force him to remain silent, as a person who boasts of something that he should be ashamed of. And tell me: what are you saying? You despise a believer, but Christ did not despise him when he was an unbeliever. What am I saying - I didn’t despise? Christ loved him so much that he died for him, although he was His enemy and covered with ugliness. Christ loved him a lot even in this state, but you despise him now that he has become beautiful and worthy of wonder, has become a member of Christ, the body of the Lord. How come you don’t think about what you say, how you don’t feel what you decide to do? Christ is his head, his meal, his clothes, his life, his light, his bridegroom, Christ is everything to him, and you dare to say: I spit on him - and not on him alone, but on everyone like him. Resist, man, put aside your madness, recognize your brother, understand that such words are befitting of a mad or crazy person, and say exactly the opposite: even if he spat on me a thousand times, I will not leave him. In this way, you will gain a brother and live to the glory of God (11). You might be interested in: